Vacuum cleaner



Jun@ 3 H. T. OBREN VACUUM CLEANER Filed Oct. 8, 1921 3 Sheets-Shea?,

Patented Elone 5, w25.

nre etree-i re HARRY T. WBLREN, F GHXAGO, PILLINIS, ASSG-NGR, BY DIRET AND MESNE AS- SIGNMENTS, OF DNELLF T FRANCIS R. SCHANC, OF CHCGO, CKLNS. i

I veevoer ernennen .p'plieation'led october 8, i321.

My invention relates to vacnunicleaners and lies for one of its objecte the provision ot a simple and elcient vacuum cleaning apparatus which can be operated ley/hond i power or by motor power.

A further object ie 'the provision o if o wey is olistrnet'ed l'iy e inusli. i

il further object is the provision ot inlet slots, the openings ol which lie in suoli plenos that the normal aires oi. tlie entering;u :zir currents Will loe 4snlietontially parallel to the direction oi the path ot the particles oi dirt loosened by tlie brush, end Will tlxcref fore carry into end tlnonfrli the cleener lxeevier purticles and hence more thoroughly clean imm il the nir earrent were in some other direction with relation 'to tlie patlr of' ilie dust particles moved by tlie lnusli.

A further Objectis tlie provision of nii' inlet slots on opposite sides oi the dirt loosening device sotliet lille air currents Vwill catch up dirt equally ".vell when the sweeper is moved l'ieckwurdly or lm'wardly.

A further object is die provision ot inlet slots so rele ted to tin; brush that tire air currents are :iwoy from the lnusli tending to keep it clean ond nog4 towards it or tlxrongrli it which would tend to` drow dirt und ilxrezids into tlio bruli. V j l A further objectis the 'provision oit' nii' passages without zilnupt changes ot direction or vrees-section:il eres5 lint with nir yuissnges olf properly de'ilnned enrves and `mootlz inerior without obstructions in ille air passoire from tlie inlet slots. tlirouoli tlie- `currents which prevent ille vair corrente lyingv between esicli pair of Slots, o1 itimey ille smile lim-infr pei-ts: luwfken away to show `due`ed by the saine suction ineens would.

otherwise transport.

A. further obiect is the provision of air passages ot euch internal cross-sectional eren as to cause air velocity of substantially o0 uniform transporting power, Ataking into aocount Whether the air currents are traveling vertically, horizontally, or in `someotlier direction .in orde-r to obtain maximum cleaningrl ellicieney.

fi further object is the provision of a vecimm cleaning device having both motor power and lionel 'power operation with provislion for opereting either of the powers at 'l e I" A further object is the provision of an electric-elly or trend driven vacuum' cleaner so' arranged that tlie electrical circuit ,eenn not be completed except when the inecl'iei'n-f` iciil connection between tlie motor and: the g5: suction device in. operating ycondition:tot prevent possible danger of starting the motor 'when only the lionel opereting device is connected to the suction fen. z

While l have shown the application of a 'brush between two unozzles inlet elots,-\`

this sanne principle could readily loe applied to three or more inlet slots with e brush" lie applied to a cleaner origini-illy deeifmed 86 willi only e single Wide slot with o` brus insorted therein. ln the letter ease. a properly formed covering or liousine" may loe placed over tlie lorusli leiiving it exposed on its lo' er 'toom ont the lione-ing: dividing tl1e`90 ,enel nozzle info two noznles -Witlo smooth welle zuid proper cross-sectional areas and cousine; higher velocities of eirA currents lliure it the lirusli were :je originally placed :is en obstruction in the air passages, theren luy increasingr tile elesu'iingr power oi the sweeper.

'Other objects will appear hereinafter.

An embodiment ot the. invention is illusn (mind in the accompanying'drmvings. :tormino' :i pau-t ot tliis Lspecitieiition,r and in i'cliielilllig. l iePey 'troo'mcntei plonview of a vacuum eleonoremlmdyiof; my invention, '105 underlying; pol-tions;

' taken on line 4--4 of Fig.'1;

Fig. 2 is an end elevation ofthe same with parts broken away to show `underlying portions; r

Fig. 3 is a rear view of the same with parts broken away to show` underlying portions;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged ragmental section Fig. 5 is a section taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 4; c

'g. 6 is a fragmental section taken` on line 6-6 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged section of a driving clutch on line 7--7 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 8 is a ragmental plan view of a hand or electrically driven vacuum cleaner embodying my invention with-parts broken away to show underlying portions; and

Fig, 9 is a side elevation of the device of Fig. 8 withparts broken away.

Referring more particularly to the -drawings, I have indicated a housing 11, which in the present instance is formed so asto contain a centrifugal fan 12 for producing suction. This fan 12 :rret`erably has curvedJ lvaries 13 which are attachedI to platesll' and 15, and has a concave cone-shapedrenfe` ter 16 to deflect the air-current rin 'its' axial to its radial path withv little loss of velocity. The plate 15 has'an opening 17 at its center for taking in air. The air is ldischarged at the periphery of the `fan between plates 14 Vand 15j, andA passes out through discharge ':-penin`g` 18 at the rear of the housinr 11.` A. separator bag 19 is connected to the opening 18,'and said bag.

may be of any approved design.

Extending from the'bottom. of the fan- 21 `enclosing a. passage 20 which terminates at.. its front end in a no z- 'zle with inlet slots 22-and 2.3. The passage 20 is preferably ormedso that its effectual cross-sectional' area is substantially the same throughout its length and is equivalent to the areas. of inlet slotsd22 and 23 and to rest of the air passage up to the bag, tak- .to the path of the particles ing in accountl the dilierence in the wall.

friction and .considering the variationvof the direction of the air currents with rc1 spect te the direction of gravity as affectying the transporting power of. air.

The slots 22 and 23 are defined 1by the .lower edges or lips 24 and 25 Aof housing 21 and the lower 'edges `or lips 26 and 27 of a brush housing 28 disposed in said noz'f.

7.10. The ends of brush housing 28 vare preferably open, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 9, and ears 29 and 30 attached to the housing 2l for supporting the journals a rotary brush 33 in journal 3l at oneyend of the brush is mounted in a hearing 34 in ear 29` (see Fig. 9), and the other journal 32,13 said hrush is mounted is an irregular groove 35 31 and 32 ofl the housing' 28. Thethan lip 25 vzle, together with the brush, results in ment permits the ^brush .to be easily removed. j

In removing the brush, one end is pressed over against the side of the housing 28 compressing part of the brush and this 10 permits the journal 32 to more out of the irreguarly shaped groove 35 and the brush to, move out of the housing. When the irstlmentioned'end of the brush is out of the housingrthe pther journal will slip 'I5 longitudine ly out of the circular bearing 34 to free the brush. In placing the brush back in ,positionagaim the reverse order is had. 4 j

`Intermediate 4the ends of the brush 33, 80 and in the present instance it is indicated at the center, .is a pinion 36 which` meshes with an internal gear 37 fornied in an annular wheel-,38. rPhe walls of brush housing 28 are enlargled as at 39 so asto ac- 85 commodate the w eel 38. The enlargement is preferably slightly larger than the wheel soas to rmit the free `rotation'of-the @wheel and extends down over the periphery l 'ofrthef Wheel suiiiciently far to hold it in 90 inf'position in the nozzle.

I 'preferably arrange the lip 26 higher than lip 211 of slot'n 22, and lip 27 higher of slot23, so that vthe lips off5 said slots adjacent the brush 33 will be so related .to the otherlips of said slots that the planes of the openings or inlet slots 22 and 23 are approximately normal of dirt loosened lof by the brush in operation, causing the currents of air entering said slots to be lsubstantially parallel to .the path of the particles' of dirt from the brush. This par-V lticular disposition-of the planes of theinlet 10|. slots 22 and23. also causes the estering air currents to be awayl from the brush instead of toward it, tending to keep thevhruslfiv clean.v These -features -greatly increase the eiciency or cleaning power of :the machine. n0

It will be apparent that the housing walls 28 of' the inlet slots may be integralf with the other walls of the nozzle 21. It should he` understoodQliowever, that when desired the housing v28 ma be made A,detachable so as-fto bev applica le to a cleaner having a wide nozzlev with a brush in the wide .nozzlefair path. In such event the application of housing 2-8 to such wide noz? i ther 129 arrangement shown in the v draw ings, in?,

operative relation tothe pinion v36 and also This arrangement may also be ada ted to-y `three or more inlet slots placed so tj at the i'n the ear 3Q, (see Fig. arrange-y 'placed' brushes or dirt loosening devices may bel betweeneach two adjacent inlet slots g withfsubstantially the same effect.. j

Inthe housing 11 is a'fvcrtical shaft 40 upon/ whichfthe centrifugal fan I,12 is fixedr,y Y 'rheuma is-joumned ,nr Suitable bemngsi Secured to a hub 13;

Mamet is said honeing and is provided with a` 'Worm 4l adjacent ite lower end. The worm ell meshes with a' worm` wheel 4;). which is The huh #t3 and worm Awheel l2 areiooeely mounted on a hardened collar ll and the latter tiiicd on a yhatt which is mounted in the casing. 'The ends ot the shaft 45 engage the traction 'wheels 46.

The hub 43 has one or more openings, 47 therein in each of which is mounted a ball 48 adapted to engage 'the collar ll to @dect rotation ot' the member Llf-3 with the shaft; when the device is moved in one ldireoton. lli/then the device is moved in the other direction the, hallsl t0 roll hack in the openings 47. against; 'the influence of' the springs ,49, permitting the traction wheels to turn 'Without driving the suction fan. `With this arrangement it `will be apparent that; 'when the -iieviee is moored baclrwardiy the ground wheels 'will turn, but, not rotate the tan. Since the fan, Will be rotated at. a relativeiy high speed it, will continue to move daring the backward pnllingot-tlio device.

At. the top oi the casing ll I provide an opening; 50 in Vwhich is secured a. plate 5l by any desired, securing moana. The shaft 40 preferahiy has a non-round socket or depression 52 in its top end which is adapted to receive a motor driven connection so that the device can he driven by a. motor when desireda rThe device maj7 be Sold with the plate 5l, as indicated in Fig. il; eo thatl sach device will he used onlir by hand power, and when it is desired to ado'. a motor later the plate 5l is removed and a plate 53 put in its place.

The plate 53 carries a motor het which may he oi any approved construction. l`he Shaftv of the motor is indicated as having a herelod rear 336 splined thereon and the latter .meshingr with' the gear 5i" tizi-ed on a shaft which has aV portion-58 engaging the :toeliet so that when the, gears 5G and 5T are in mesh the motor can operato the Shaft. 4() and tan l2. The `gear ho has a groove 59 in its hub which ia'engaged by an irregularljiv shaped member 6d andthe latter has: a hand portion' (Sl which extends ont through a alot o! in a housing (il), on plato 355. Il v imams ot' the pai (il the gear' 5G can he moved hach and .forth on shaft,

- in the eli-ctrical circuit ol the motor and mount one part (il ot sui-h plug' rigidly ou the plate 5S. The removable part. (S5 pref-- whenl member titi is ronioifed From member 64.., member til can he. moved in ita alot 62 to disconnect gear 56 from' gear 57. The

. ing' arrangement also is sach that. member 65 cannot be connected 'with member 64 when the geareare disconnected. With thisl arrangement; it is impossible for one to Start up the motor when the gears are disconnected. if the' rear 5G were moved into eng-agement with gear 5i' when the motor was running, parts ot' 'the dcriee'mifght be injured in this construction the motor `is a ranged to drive the `fan at a higher rate ot' speed than the traction wheels lo do So thatfsaid Wheola need not he dieconnccted from the fan at any time. vli'hcn the device is being motor operated` the shafty vwould tiiz'n at so high a rate ot' speed that one could not, readily push the device along fastv enough to make the balls l@ engage the collar 44. However, no damage would result if these did engage diie to rapid movement; of the sweeper along the fioor. lVhen the device is to he hand-operated, the member til is moved to disconnect the Qjear 5G so that itis notneeessary to turn the motor shaft when4 operating; the device hy hand.- Any suitable handle may he attached to the casing for moving; the device along, and such a handle connection ie indicated at A(Si in the drawings.

l'. eiain'itmy Cleaning apparatus comprising a noz zie, a suction producing means, a. housing' containing a passage connecting said nozzle and said onction producing means, an electric motorr` a connection between the' clec;v trio an elect-rio circuit includingr the. motor, and means 4for preventing completion fit-electric circuitJ when the electric motor is not'operatireiy connected with suction means.

Cleaning apparatus comprising a casing. a suction means in said casing, a motor having a shaft mounted in--the casing, an electrical circuit including the motor, means for operatively engaging-,and disengaging said motor shaft with said suction means, said engaging; and disengaging means heilig adapted when in one position'to prevent; completion oi" the electric circuitfl. vCleaning; apparatus comprising' a housinel having an ,opening in one side, awsi1ction tan mounted inA the housing adjacent said opening, a sha ft extending' through said suction Ytan and having a recess 'non-round in orose-aection in one end thereof, a plate. secured inthe opening of said houeinfv. an

motor and the auction producing means, "il

elec-tric'motor mounted 'on said plate, and a driving connection having means dctaclialolyr engaging' the non1mind recess of said Shaft and said electric1 motor providing a detachable connection het Ween the allait and niotor.

fl. Cleaning apparatus comprising a cae'- ing; pnmijiing mean; mounted in said 21... ing; an electric motor attached to the casa' driving connection 'between the tor and lpumpingl means; a separable electrical plugattac ed Ato thecasing and connected witheaid electricmotor; and a memi ber attached tosaid driving connection and adapted for movement adjacent one ortion .of sa'd separable plug prohibiting t ie con: nection of the other-part of said plug when the driving connection is in inoperative con- 5. Cleanin'gnp'paratus comprising a caslng; suction pumping-means 1n said casing;

a motor shaft mounted in the casing; a

gear connection between the pumping means and moto:` shaft; and amember ferjlieonf the parts of necting said gear connection, said member having 'a portion adapted to a fixed path; and an electrical connection having twoseparableparts, fsaid member having its path of movement adjacent one of said electrical connection and move along p adapted for movement adjacent the latter Intestimony whereof l' have signed my name to this vspecification on this` .6th day of October, A'. D. 1921. v

" HARRY T. OBRIEN.'

so Vas .to prohibit the, connection ot' the tivo lparts of said electrical connection. 

